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Last Updated: Monday, 5 June 2006, 08:59 GMT 09:59 UK
Sister in plea over Hassan body
Margaret Hassan
Margaret Hassan had UK, Iraqi and Irish nationality
The sister of British aid worker Margaret Hassan, taken hostage and killed in Iraq, has pleaded with the UK government to help find her body.

Deidre Fitzsimons told BBC News that three men due to stand trial in Baghdad in connection with the killing "know where my sister is buried".

But her pleas for British officials to interview the men - arrested by the US military - had been refused, she said.

The Foreign Office said the case was being dealt with by Iraqi police.

Mrs Hassan, who had British, Iraqi and Irish nationality, was taken hostage in October 2004 and shot a month later. Her body has not been found.

These men know where my sister is buried and, all we have left, all we want to do now, is to bring her home
Deidre Fitzsimons

Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme, Ms Fitzsimons said that, since the men had been arrested last May, she had "begged" the Foreign Office to force UK officials to interview them.

"They were found with my sister's personal belongings, her handbag, her make-up, things that women carry around," she said.

"These men know where my sister is buried and, all we have left, all we want to do now, is to bring her home."

Mrs Hassan's body must now "come home to England" so she could be buried "with the respect that she deserves", Ms Fitzsimons added.

"She was a wonderful woman who did fabulous things for women, children and the poor in Iraq and she deserves some dignity.

"I'm begging the British government to find out where she is and to allow us to do that."

Calls made

Ms Fitzsimons repeated claims made in a statement by her and other family members on Sunday that Mrs Hassan had been killed because the British government refused to speak to the kidnappers.

Our strategy was one of personalisation and localisation - to minimise the links between Margaret Hassan and the UK
Foreign Office

She said kidnappers had made four calls to Mrs Hassan's Iraqi husband, asking to speak to the British Embassy, but that the British had refused to speak to them.

"The advice given to my brother-in-law was 'we'll emphasise her Iraqiness' - which was a ridiculous thing to do, after all, because they had kidnapped her in possession...of her British passport," Ms Fitzsimons said.

The Foreign Office confirmed Mrs Hassan's husband was called from her phone, but could not verify the caller's kidnapping claims.

A spokesman said: "Our strategy was one of personalisation and localisation - to minimise the links between Margaret Hassan and the UK."

He understood her family had criticisms of the government's approach, but they remained in constant contact with them, he added.




BBC NEWS: VIDEO AND AUDIO
Margaret Hassan's sister speaks out



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